Screen washer



June 21, 1 938.

' T. s. PARK SCREEN WASHER Filed Feb. 18, 1936 IN VEN TOR.

T. 5. PA R K. BY GE' n @mm 7. wz m Patented June 21, 1938 lUNITED STATES,SCREEN -wnsmza Tracy S. Park, Houston, Tex.,'assignor to Leslie LLayne, Houston, Tex.

Application February 18, 1936, Serial No. 64,447 l 6 Claims. (Cl.166-20) The invention relates to a screen cleaner or washer particularlyfor use in washing the vstrainer or screens which are disposed in 011,3

gas and water wells.

' It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a high pressurewasher for screens whereby -a jet of liquid is forced outwardly through20 nozzle is provided so that the maximum velocity of the liquiddischarging therefrom will be projected against the screen to be washed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washer head withdischarge nozzles so that the discharge will be transversely of the axisof the head.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a well screen in which thewasher head is disposed in operative position to wash the screen.

Fig. 2 is a view looking down on the top of the washer head after it isdisposed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is .a section taken on the line 3-3 oi Fig. 1.`

In` the production of oil, gas and wter from wells it is the usualpractice to'position a screen 40 or strainer in the well through whichthe iluid y being produced isto be strained in lorder to elim- -inate aninflow of sand, scale, and other foreign matter. I' Various types ofscreens have been used for 46 this purpose, one form being illustratedin Fig. 1, which embodies a pipe 2, which has been grooved at 3 on itsperiphery and an inlet port 4 provided adjacent each groove. Any othertype of pipe may be provided so long as it has 50 ports such as Ithrough which the iluid being produced may enter the inside passage 5 ofthe pipe.

In the particular form. of strainer here shown the pipe 2 has beenwrapped with a wire 6, the 55 'wrappings of which are spaced apart adistance 1, which is predetermined depending upon the size of the sandwhich is to be excluded.

Needless to say after the screen has been set the sandy formation inwhich it is' vlocated will cave in around the screen and be carried to-5 ward the screen by the flow of iiuid being produced. In` time adeposit of this sand occurs in and around the wire 6 and in manyinstances may fill the strainer openings I as well as the grooves 3 andthe ports 4. In some instances 10 where the sand is coarser it willaccumulate about the' wire 6 and interfere with the eiliciency of thescreen.

In other instances the wells may be graveled by depositing a body ofgranular material about l15 the screen either before or after it islocated in the well. Naturally during the producing of the well thefiner sand will iilter through this gravel material and accumulate aboutthe screen.

In either of the instances set out above it is desired to periodicallywash out the screen and rearrange the lgranular material outside of thescreen and to remove the ner material which has accumulated adjacent thescreen.

The presentinventiondirects itself to a tool for carrying out thisdesired procedure. .The tool embodies a head or body I0, which isthreaded to a coupling I I, which is in turn carried by a string of pipeI2. The string of pipe I2 extends to the surface and is known as thesetting or 30 operating string and through this string a liquid pressurewill be applied by a suitable pump on the surface.

Disposed inside of the head or body I0 is a nozzle I5, the upper endbeing anchored to a platel I6, which is shown as being xed betweenthelower end of the pipe I2 and theupper end of the body I0 in the couplingIl. `These parts maybe assembled together. andscrewed tightly inposition so that there will'be no leakagearound 40 the plate I6. Theupper end Ilof the nozzle I5 may be welded orpbrazed to the plate I 6 ifdesired so long as the fluid tight ilt is provided.

The nozzle `Iii is lof kparticular construction in that it graduallytapers as seen in section by a gradual reduction of the size-of the pipeI8 which makes up the nozzle. In this manner the velocity of the iluidpassingfthrough this nozzle is gradually increased and reaches a maximumat the discharge end 20 thereof. This is constructed 50 on the samedesign as a re hose nozzle or other nozzle allowing a maximum velocityto be ob- In order to direct this stream of liquid from 'the nozzle I5transversely to thep axis ofthe 55 body I so that it will pass throughthe screen the nozzle is curved at 2I and is fixed in the opening 22inside of the body I0. 'I'he curve 2l Vis a very gradual curve so thatit will but slightly aect the velocity of the flow through the nozzleand the discharge stream will be against the inside face of the screen2.

In operation. a high pressure stream of liquid will be forced downthrough the pipe I2, as seen in Fig. 1. Two nozzles I have been providedwhich project from the opposite sides of the body I0, as seen in Figs. land 3. The pipe I2 will be raised and lowered or gradually rotated asdesired so as to move the discharge streams over the entire inside faceof the screen 2. When the discharging streams move into alignment withthe ports 4 it seems obvious that there will be a. high velocitydischarge through the ports which will remove any scale or sediment inthe ports and the grooves 3, as well as the passages 1 between windingsof the wire 6. In this manner the screen will be thoroughly washed andany desired amount of movement ofthe nozzle may be had.

Fig. 3 shows the iiattened coniiguration of the body portion I0 on thesides .at 25 so that circulation of the liquid may be maintained and itcan flow readily upward through the passage 5 in the screen. The bodyportion I0 extends laterally at 26 beyond the cylindrical portion 21 ofthe body so that the discharge Vport 20 will be located closely adjacentthe inside face of the screen. In this manner the liquid.' willdischarge through the ports 4 at a greater velocity. It is intended thatthe total overall width of the iiattened portion 26 of the body will besubstantially the same as the inside diameter of the screen pipe.

The-enlarged coupling- II serves to center the body in the pipe andmaintain the discharge streams in direct alignment with the ports 4.

It seems obvious from the description of the foregoing apparatus thatthe material closely adjacent the screen4 wire 6 will be violentlyagitated by the discharge of liquid through the ports 4 and the screenopenings 1. As this liquid discharges its escape will be upwardly aroundthe -screen and in through the upper openings 1 above the tool I0 andback into the screen. The agitation of the iiner particles will causethem to be carried along with the ow of liquid and they may enter thescreen and be carried upwardly from the well .to be permanently removed.As to slightly larger particles, however, they will be agitated andcarried away from the surface of the screen and the larger particleswill settle in their place so that there will be an obviousrearrangement of the particles and filter around the outside of thescreen. In eventthis lter has been made of gravel this gravel will beagitated and the finer particles which have filtered into the voidsbetween the coarser gravel will be washed away by the ow of liquid,leaving the gravel in suitable ltering condition.

In event the deposit about the screen isonly the natural cavings andsediment which has accumulated about the strainer than this washingoperation will remove the finer particles, break up the cake of materialabout the screen, and result in a general loosening up of the formationabout the wellkso that there may be a greater inflow of productiveliquid.

After the washing operation has been completed'the to'olmay be readilyraised from the screen by lifting on the pipe I2.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a tool for washing the well whereina nozzle is provided to discharge liquid at a maximum velocity directlythrough the ports in the screen and to in this manner rearrange thefiltering material outside of the screen. y

What is claimed as new is:

1. A well strainer washing tool comprising a body, a true nozzle memberiixed within said body with the entrance end disposed upwardly, the

discharge end of said nozzle member being curved and iixed to the bodyto discharge transversely to the axis of the body.

2. A well strainer washing tool comprising a body, a true nozzle memberxed within said body with the entrance end disposed upwardly, thedischarge end of said nozzle member being curved and fixed to the bodyto discharge transversely to the axis of the body whereby a highvelocity jet of liquid will impinge against the well strainer.

3. A well strainer Washing tool comprising a body, a true nozzle memberiixed within said body with the entrance end disposed upwardly, thedischarge end of said nozzle member being curved and x'ed to the body todischarge transversely to the axis of the body whereby a high velocityjet of liquid will impinge against the well strainer to dislodge debristherefrom.

4. A well screen cleaner comprising a body, having a discharge port inthe side thereof, a pipe connected to said body, a plate secured to saidbody to close the bore from said pipe into said body, said plate havingan opening therein, and a curved nozzle member having its dischargeandentrance ends iixed in said port and opening respectively.

5. A Well strainer washing tool comprising a body having a pipeconnection thereon, said body having a flattened portion with a walladapted to be closely juxtaposed to the wall of the strainer to becleaned,V an opening in said tool wall and a curved nozzle member havingits discharge tip fixed in said opening.

6. A well screen cleaner comprising a. body having flattened portionsand walls adapted to be closely juxtaposed to lthe screen walls, saidtool walls having ports therein, a pipe connection in said body, a pipecollar threaded'upon said connection and adapted to guide the toolwithin the screen and nozzles within said body having their dischargetips connected to said ports whereby a high velocity jet will impingeagainst the well strainer from the closely juxtaposed port.

TRACY S. PARK.

